AhlulBayt News Agency

source : Agencies
Monday

15 January 2024

9:45:52 AM
1429481

Mosque in France attacked by arsonist during prayers

An arsonist attempted to set fire to the door of a mosque in Saint-Martin-des-Champs, near Morlaix, while Muslims were praying inside, according to the local authorities and the interior minister.

AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): An arsonist attempted to set fire to the door of a mosque in Saint-Martin-des-Champs, near Morlaix, while Muslims were praying inside, according to the local authorities and the interior minister.

The Finistère prefecture said in a statement that the incident happened on Saturday morning.

The Islamic Council of France (CFCM) also issued a statement, expressing its solidarity with the mosque community and management, and urging all mosques in France to be vigilant.

Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said on the social network X that he supported the Muslims of Finistère and that an investigation had been launched to find and prosecute the perpetrator.

A surveillance video, published by local media, showed a person in a hooded vest spraying a flammable liquid on the entrance of the mosque, before igniting it and causing a fire.

The flames damaged the front door of the prayer hall and a nearby neon light, and smoke filled the area. No one was hurt in the attack.

This was not the first time that the mosque of Saint-Martin-des-Champs had been targeted by vandalism, according to France 3 Bretagne. About ten years ago, raw sausages were hung from the mosque's railings, the media outlet reported.

The arson attack comes amid rising Islamophobia in Western countries following the Israel-Hamas war in the besieged Gaza Strip.

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